Black Panther Party leader on violence and struggle
The BPP was 鈥渘ot intending to be at war with anyone,鈥� former leader Ericka Huggins says.
鈥淚 never learned to use a gun, I never had a gun. We were not intending to be at war with anyone,鈥� a former Black Panther Party (BPP) leader has told the 麻豆社 Hardtalk programme.
Ericka Huggins was a key figure in the radical party, founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in Oakland, California, in 1966. It was described by former FBI Director Edgar Hoover as 鈥渢he greatest threat to the internal security of the United States."
Unlike civil rights campaigners like Martin Luther King, the Black Panthers did not renounce violence, they armed themselves, claiming a right to self-defence against police brutality.
Born in Washington, she dropped out of college at 18 to join the Black Panthers in Los Angeles, quickly becoming a leader. In New Haven, Connecticut, she was the first woman to lead a chapter.
In May 1969, Ericka Huggins and Bobby Seale were arrested on murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges related to the killing of Alex Rackley, sparking Free Bobby, Free Ericka rallies across the country. After a lengthy trial, the charges were dismissed.
